Age range

Website: www.bcnc.net

Mission/Goals: BCNC addresses community needs by providing programs and services for the entire family. They also work to foster a mutual understanding and respect for diverse cultures and ethnic groups.

Source(s): www.guidestar.org; www.bcnc.net

Notes: BCNC runs a variety of programs for children and youth, however the two primary programs are the Oak Street Youth Center (OSYC) and the Red Oak After School program (ROAS). OSYC offers academic tutoring, ESL classes, math and language art classes as well as peer leadership training and recreational activities. ROAS has academic activiites, reading, recreation, arts, clubs, and homework assistance. It also provides opportunities for parents to get involved. BCNC has received awards from a variety of organizations, some of which include the Annie E. Casey foundation and the Points of Light foundation.

Type of Evaluation: Experimental

Note: Although SPARC is no longer an initiative at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, many of its components and programs are still running.

Objective: To determine the impact of the SPARC (Students Promoting Academics, Recreation, and Community) Program which includes a variety of programs for children, youth, and families offered by the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC).

Impact/Outcomes: Results for the SCIP/Child cohort are as follows: both the control and experimental groups experienced significant improvement in English language skills however there was no significant difference between groups. There were no significant results on any of the other outcomes examined. Parents of both groups reported significant improvement on measures of the appropriateness of developmental expectations of children and on the reversal of parent-child roles. Results for the OSYC/Youth cohort are as follows: the experimental group reported significantly more improvement in reading proficiency. The experimental group also reported a greater belief in self however it was not significant compared to the control group. Both groups experienced a decline in academic achievement. The experimental group showed improvement on total protective factors and school attendance whereas the control group reported a decline on both measures. The results, however, were not statistically significant for either group. Finally, parents of youth in both groups reported a significant improvement on measures of role reversal and parents of the experimental group reported significant improvement on measures of empathy and corporal punishment.